Signaling receptacle



f Pat nted Fe 4,193

JOHN K. nrrsrnenn, oFALLIAneE, onro SIGNALING nricnr'tracnn jApplication filed March 12,1929." Serial 110,346,458.

My invention relates to signaling receptacles more particularly adaptedfor being placed on the outside of houses, for receiving milk bottles,mail, and the like. 7 I i Such receptacles, located on the outside ofhouses, are frequently subject to petty pilferers, and the objects ofthe present invention include the provision of a receptacle"havingsimple mechanical means for emitting an audible signalwhen a milkbottle is inserted orremoved from the milk compartment'thereof, and whenmail is inserted or .removed from the mail compartment by lifting thelid to the mail compartment. i

. the present invention, as will hereinafter be setforth in detailgandclaimed.

' A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in-theaccompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is a topplan view of the improved signaling receptacle with portions. insection,and showinga hinged shelf, with which the receptacle is preferablyprovided, lowered ig. 2', a side elevation thereof as in the d1rect1onof the arrows 22, Fig. 1; and

. F 1g. 3, asect1onal view thereofas on line ,33, ig. 1, the shelf beingswung upwards 30 to its preferred position when not in use.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. Ip

v The improved signaling receptacle inclicated generally at lOincludes acase 11 having side walls'll and 11 end'walls 11 and 11, a partitionwall 11 between the. end,

walls, anda bottom wall 11 covering. the opening at the lower end of therear end wall 11, the partition wall 11 and the side walls 11' and 11thus forming an upwardly opening milk bottle compartment 12, and'a mailcompartment 13;

The mail compartment has an upper .o'pen-,

ing provided with a hinged upwardly swingfrom the mail compartment. Themail compartment is. preferably pro- 50 videdwith alaterallyswingingbottom cover thebotto'm cover16 to one side. A shelf 18is preferably connected" by These and ancillary objects are attained infor supporting aplurality of extra bottles;

ing cover 14, which is preferably hinged at. on the upper end of thepartition wall 11 which separates the milk bottle compartment 17'withz'the bottom wallll of the receptacle.

7 16 whicli'is pivotally connected as by a' hinge 1 I Accordingly mailmay bei'nser'ted in the mailnr'eiceptacle 13'. bylifting the "cover 14%,

and may be removed therefrom byfswinging hinges 19 to the' 'bottom wallll at thelower end-of the side wall-11 Alink 2O ispivotallyfconnectedas'by a pivot screw 21'at the rear side of the shelf 18, and at theother end a the link is provided with a slot and pin connecti'on withthe rear end wall 11 of the recepta'cle, as-by means of a screw'22extending throughasuitable slot 23 in the link.

. Accordingly the shelf 18may be lowered to the position illustrated inFig. 1 for support-V ing a plurality of extra bottles or may be raisedto theposition illustrated in Fig. 3,

when not requiredfo r such use".

-' The receptacle is preferably securedto the sidewall 24 of a'house,spacers 25being pro-' vided between therear end wall 111andthe f de wall24 for-"permitting o iiera'tion Offth'e' link 20. 7

Preferablyon the outsideof the side wen- 11?, a spring motorpoweredbell'26, is mount-' ed.v Ihef'bell is'ofga well known design,"and provided with ahead 29 against which the lowerend of an actuatinglever 30 slida'bly rests. Theupp'er end of the actuating lever 30isprovided with pivot'means 31 supporting the lever-upon the inside ofthev side wall-11?,

is adapted to be rung by movement of" a. plunger 27 outwardly from thesidewall 11 89 and the Zrelativelocatio'ns of the pivot means a 31andthe head 29 are'such'that the actuat ing lever 30 slopes downwardlytowards the, center of the milk bottle compartment 12. The outer surfaceof-the lower end of the actuating lever- 30 isspaced at 32 a distance, J

from the'inside ofthe opposite side wall 11*, lessthan the diameter D'of the lower large end of a standard milk bottle 33, and the distancefrom the inside of the rear e nd wall 11 to the opposite face of thepartition wall 11 is just sufliciently greater than the diam eter of thestandard milk bottle to permit vertical removal or insertion of the samefrom the upwardly opening milk bottle com partment 12.

. Accordingly when such a bottle 33 1s elther inserted in or removedfrom the milk bottle compartment 12, the lower end of the bottle willslide against the outer surface of the lower end of the actuating lever30,- thereby pushing the plunger 27 outwardlyand ringing the bell 26for, signaling the occupants of the house that the bottle has eitherbeen placed in the compartment or has been removed therefrom.

A similar bell 26 is mounted on the outside of the side wall ll adjacentthe bell 26, and a cover 34: may be supported by spring clips 35 securedupon the side wall 11 for protecting both bells from the elements.

The bell 26 includes'an upwardly extending plunger 27, normally springpressed upwardly by the bell mechanism, and the plunger'27 extendsthrough an aperture 37 in the bell cover 34:, and is pivotally connectedat its upper end with the outer end of an actuating arm 36 extendingrearwardly from the mail compartment cover 14; whereby when the mailcompartment cover 14: is raised, the bell 26 will be rung, therebysignaling the event to the occupants of the house.

Accordingly, by the foregoing construction and .arrangement, a simpleand efiective mechanical signaling receptacle is provided which permitsthe occupants of the house to be informed when a milk bottle is-insertedin or removed from the milk bottle receptacle or when the cover of amail compartment is raised. 7 V

.The mechanicalsignaling receptacle of the present invention is superiorto a signaling receptacle including electrically operated mechanisms,because such electrically operatedinechanisms require batteries or othersources of electric power, and frequently necessitate the drilling ofholes through the side wall of the house.

I claim:

A signaling receptacle including box walls tormin-ga closed receivingcompartment, the compartment having an opening permitting the insertionor removal of an article into orfrom the compartment, mechanicallyactuated signaling means, and a plunger for actuating, the signalingmeans extending into the compartment and located in the path ofpanarticle inserted or removed through the opening for operating thesignaling means whenever an article is inserted or removed.

. In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed myname.

JOHN K. LITSINGER.

